The Vicar of Wakefield A Tale. Supposed to be written by Himself. Sperate miseri, cavete faelices. Last updated Tuesday, March 8, 2016 at 12:58. To the best of our knowledge, the text of this work is in the Public Domain in Australia.

The Vicar of Wakefield – subtitled A Tale, Supposed to be written by Himself – is a novel by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774). It was written from 1761 to 1762 and published in 1766. It was one of the most popular and widely read 18th-century novels among Victorians.

Published in 1766, The Vicar of Wakefield follows the turbulent shift in the fortune and status of the Primrose family, as they must endure various setbacks that threaten their ultimate wellbeing and prosperity. Focusing on themes including family, prudence, resilience, religion, deception, marriage, and social status, the classic is regarded as Goldsmith’s most notable literary achievement. An enduring piece of literature renowned for Goldsmith’s accurate descriptions, gentle irony, satire, and profound wisdom, The Vicar of Wakefield can be read both as a sentimental novel promoting innate goodness, or it can also be understood as a satire on the social and economical inequalities at the time. Nevertheless, the novel is sure to enthrall with its vibrant characters, unexpected twists, and melodramatic occurrences that are generously distributed throughout its pages.

Oliver Goldsmith wrote The Vicar of Wakefield, his one and only novel. Part of the introduction of this book says that Mr. Goldsmith was asked by his landlady to leave his apartment due to unpaid rent. Mr. Goldsmith asked his friend, Mr. Boswell, to sell the manuscript of this novel for him to have money.

Published in 1766 'The Vicar of Wakefield' was Oliver Goldsmith's only novel. It was thought to have been sold to the publisher for £60 on Oliver Goldsmith's behalf by Dr Johnson to enable Goldsmith to pay off outstanding rent and to release himself from his landlady's arrest. It is the story of the family of Dr Primrose, a benevolent vicar, and follows them through their fall from fortune and their ultimate rise again. Once again Martin Clifton delivers a perfect reading of Oliver Goldsmith’s touching novel. The Vicar of Wakefield features the tale of the fall and rise of Dr Primrose and his family. The novel offers an interesting insight into 18th century England and is certainly one of the great classics of European literature.

Oliver Goldsmith's hugely successful novel of 1766 remained for generations one of the most highly regarded and beloved works of eighteenth-century fiction. It depicts the fall and rise of the Primrose family, presided over by the benevolent vicar, the narrator of a fairy-tale plot of impersonation and deception, the abduction of a beautiful heroine and the machinations of an aristocratic villain. By turns comic and sentimental, the novel's popularity owes much to its recognizable depiction of domestic life and loving family relationships